We explore what a green card is and when it is necessary to have one.
A Green Card is an international certificate of insurance, which provides motorists with the necessary third-party insurance cover to drive in different countries. The document is designed to fulfil two main objectives:
1. To facilitate the movement of vehicles across international borders through an internationally acceptable document proving the existence of insurance (the green card or International Insurance Card).
2. To ensure that victims of accidents involving foreign-registered vehicles are not disadvantaged.
The Green Card System currently comprises 48 countries represented by 47 National Insurers’ Bureaux, including all 30 countries that make up the European Economic Area (EEA), Andorra, Switzerland, Serbia, Russia, several countries in the Middle East and others bordering the Mediterranean Sea.
While it was previously necessary for UK drivers to request a green card when driving across the border, from the 2nd of August 2021 the UK became part of the Green Card Free Circulation Area (GFCA). This means that any driver from the UK is automatically covered when driving in all of the 30 EEA countries, as well as Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland.
If however, you are travelling to a country, not within the GFCA, you can request a green card by getting in touch with our friendly customer service team so that we can have a look at what options are available for your circumstances. Just contact us at least 5 days before your trip so that we can get these issued for you in time. We are open 7 days a week and will be more than happy to help!